Maybe We Don't Stop Mass Shootings Because They're Good For Fundraising

Today's scene at the San Bernardino mass shooting

As I write this late Wednesday afternoon, another mass shooting is unfolding, this time in San Bernardino, California.  Last I checked at least 14 people are dead, 14 are injured, and they're still looking for the shooters.

The mass shootings are coming on faster and faster and faster. It's almost like the nation is in a civil war, with lots of tiny mini factions fighting it out through terrorist attacks.

I get it. Preventing mass shootings is tricky business. They tend to involve a convoluted mess of hate, extreme politics, a gun culture, and laziness on the part of leaders.

Or is it laziness? I really hope I'm being way too cynical here. Is our nation's inability to stop mass shootings deep down a function of them being good for business?

Obviously most of us loathe mass shootings. Few people want to see innocent people die.

But I notice after every mass shooting, people from advocacy groups, and politicians try to outdo each other saying outrages things about the latest shooting.

On the surface, these loudmouths don't like the death of innocents, either. But is a little part of them, deep down, actually happy these kinds of things are happening with increasing frequency?

After all, the loudmouths say their outragous things, which riles up their base, who donate money to the cause the loudmouth is supporting, and they make oodles of money.

Here's the type of comment I'm talking about:  As the incident was unfolding, pundit Ben Shapiro snarkily Tweeted: "The answer to the San Bernardino shooting is clearly whatever the left wanted to push before the San Bernardino shooting."

Thank you, Ben. Of course I have no idea what goes on in Shapiro's head, or exactly what motivated him to say this.  Maybe he really just loathes liberals and it's as simple as that, who knows? I certainly can't accuse Shapiro of the money making cynicism I described. Because I just don't know.

But are some people using these shootings as a fundraising scheme? Yes, innocent people are dead, but hey, there's money to be made, right?

Another horrible aspect of this, as if there weren't enough, is to make all of us live in some level of fear. Will you, or I be the next person to be caught up in a thing like this?  Fearful people tend not to make rational decisions like calm people would.

So they might vote for a loudmouth reactionary as a response to their fear. Instead of really taking the time to consider who best would bring our country, our society forward in peace.

Another win for the offensive loudmouths.

I so hope I'm wrong.  I so hope I'm far too cynical and bitter.